Birth & baptismal certificate on laid paper. Printed form with central textblock in German within a multiple line border. Infilled and decorated around textblock by Speyer; cross-legged angel at top, pelicans feeding young at sides and flowers at sides and bottom. Watercolors are red, blue, yellow, green and brown.
Infilled for Johannes, son of Valiendein (Valentine) and Eliesabetha (Elisabetha) Bohmer of Brecknock Township in Lancaster Co., born Dec. 13, 1788.
Georg Friederich Speyer (active 1774-1801) used this printed form produced c. 1789 by Barton & Johnson of Reading. See Notes.
General wear with numerous creases and wrinkles; one pronounced vertical centerline crease. Repaired tears, esp at left edge. All edges are ragged and uneven, esp. at right.
Conserved by CCAHA in 1989 (see report in file). Hinged into window mat & back mat. Relaced in its original frame using UF-3 Plexiglas and acid-free cardboard on reverse with a taped mylar dust shield.
Object ID
G.77.50.1
Notes
Printed form by Reading printers Thomas Barton and Benjamin Johnson, circa 1789 (see Klaus Stopp, The Printed Birth & Baptismal Certificates of the Pa. Germans, v. 4, p. 84). Speyer used this printed form for Johannes Bohmer who was born the previous year in1788.
Place of Origin
Lancaster County
Role
Artist
Credit
Gift of Mr. & Mrs. Richard Flanders Smith, Heritage Center Collection
Family register for Metzger family, hand-drawn, lettered and watercolored, horizontal orientation on wove paper, attributed to Karl Seybold (arctive c. 1813-1846). Format is the English style of register rather than Pa. German. Framed in molded softwood frame with very dark brown finish.
Within an inked double-line border is a grouping at top of rectangles with text re: parents. Father George Metzger born in Conestoga Twp.(1799-1845) and mother Maria Huber Metzger born in Boro of Strasburg (1804-1890), married 1821. Polychrome flowers surround text blocks. Father was Lutheran, mother (daughter of Abraham and Maria Longenecker Huber), apparently Mennonite (unbaptized as a child).
Below text blocks are 8 circles bordered w/ polychrome stylized flowers. Each circle records birth of a child. Birthplaces indicate pattern of residence:1st child born Lancaster Boro (1824), 2nd & 3rd Lancaster Twp (1827-1829), 4th & 5th in Manheim Twp (1831-1833) and last three in Warwick Twp (1836-1841).
Karl F. T. Seybold came to America in 1806, becoming a school teacher in Northampton Co. by 1813. His desire to join the Harmony Society in Ambridge, Pa. was unfulfilled, so he moved with his wife to Lancaster Co. in the 1830s, reportedly at the urging of his mother-in-law. He taught school and apparently lived in a Menno. community, doing mostly birth records and family registers for them (names like Funk, Hostetter, Herr, Kauffman, Huber, Miller, etc.).
Provenance
Unknown provenance before acquisition from sellers. Earnests do list the source of this fraktur as "Der Kurier" 9/93 p. 4. This is the newsletter of the Mid-Atlantic Germanic Society, published quarterly in March, June, September, and December. It is indexed in the Periodical Source Index by the Allen County Public Library, Ft. Wayne, Indiana and the Genealogical Periodical Annual Index by Heritage Books Inc, Bowie, Maryland
Old cardboard back has mailing label from L.E. Waterman Co. in New York City to W.H. Corey, Jr. of Owego, N.Y. A 12-cent stamp affixed to corner dates from early 20th century.
Paper soiling, foxing and scattered stains overall; significant moisture stains along bottom right border and smaller ones near center as well as along paper edges. Paper has significant spidery, stained cracks extending inwards from both right and left edges, clustered at center. Each side is repaired on reverse with a 2.5" - 3"-wide vertical band of paper tape, causing the dark staining seen at cracks on front. Vertical paper cracks at fold lines extend in from top and bottom. Frame has been recut to current size and has nicks and moderate wear. Corrugated cardboard backing replaced with acid-free board, Dec. 2004..
Watercolored drawing on wove paper. Symmetrical design has a heart at bottom center with religious text. It reads: "Gottes brune/lein hat wasser / die Fulle Amen." (God's little well has an abundance of water). Growing out of the heart is a tall flowered stem extending to top of page. Top flower is a large tulip of yellow, red and blue. Large, confronting birds perch on small side branches terminating with small tulips. Birds have yellow bodies, blue wings and head, with red beaks and neck ring. Red and yellow carnations on side branching stems below. Heart is flanked at bottom by two birds with blue bodies, yellow wings and red heads. Mounted in an off-white window mat with two paper hinges at top. This is drawn by the same artist as 2017.999.18 and executed at the same time. Colors are the same.
Overall light brown age darkening. Several small brown stains; worst one is under top left bird. Very light creases/buckling across surface. Right edge is wavy. Upper left corner has crease where folded back.
Object ID
2017.999.17
Notes
Appraisal done by Pastor Fred Weiser on 2 Sept 1988. Marked fraktur #28 during this event.
Watercolored drawing on wove paper. Symmetrical design has a heart just below center with religious text written in red. It reads: "Das blut Jesu Christ des sohnes Gottes macht und rein von allen sunden Amen." (The blood of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, purifies us from all sins. Amen). Growing out of the heart are three stems: the center one has a small flower but the side ones terminate with tulips and have birds perching just below. Tulips are red and blue; birds have red bodies, blue wings and yellow heads. In each bottom corner is a prancing blue horse.
Mounted in an off-white window mat with two paper hinges at top. This is drawn by the same artist and at the same time as 2017.999.17. Identical colors used.
Overall light brown age darkening. Several small brown stains appear similar to foxing. Wavy horizontal wrinkle across page near top. Three light creases in bottom half. Bottom left corner has crease where folded. A 1/2" tear at bottom, one inch from right corner.
Object ID
2017.999.18
Notes
Appraisal done by Pastor Fred Weiser on 2 Sept 1988. Marked fraktur #16 during this event.
Birth & Baptismal Certificate (B & BC) attributed to teacher K. F. Seybold (arctive c. 1813-1846) for Catharina Laugomar, born 16 Mar 1828 in the kingdom of Wurtenburg, now Germany. She was baptized by Magister Frass & witnessed by Johan Georg Abele and wife Anna Catharina, nee Bay(in).
Executed on wove paper with ink & unusual coloring. Yellow, blue and red are used. Page is pasted onto paperboard. Within a line border is an off-center heart in upper 3/4 of design. Heart has a bible verse in upper section and short prayer below, followed by 1847. Heart decorated with flowers along top & sides with color-striped curtains (?) draping off upper sides of heart. Bottom tip of heart has long, radiating, colored leaves, also decorated with colored "pearls". is a text block in German noting the birth and baptism of Anna Catharina Laugomar, born 1828 in Wurtzburg (now in Germany). Master Frass baptized Anna Catharina and Joh. Georg Abele and wife Ana Catharina nee Bay(in) were witnesses. At bottom of design, outside of border has swags edged in more colored "pearls". Reverse side has typed translation (not pencil corrections by Fred Weiser) by Rev. Harvey Swanson, 538 W. Chestnut St., Lancaster.
Pasted onto paperboard. Darkening from acid burn; blotchy staining overall but darker at top center and left as well from heart bottom to bottom of text. Vertical tears at top center; tape stain visible underneath. Bottom left corner torn off. Needs to be removed from acidic board.
Object ID
2017.999.22
Notes
Appraisal done by Pastor Fred Weiser on 2 Sept 1988. Marked fraktur #21 during this event.
Artist Karl Friedrich Seybold immigrated from Germany to America in 1806. By 1813 he was a schoolmaster in Northampton Co. and later in Lancaster Co.
Presentation piece is a square sheet of wove paper with hand-printed, multicolored lettering. It reads: "To / Miss Catharine Harnish / of West Lampeter Township, / Lancaster County, Pa."
In small, cursive handwriting in blue ink is "From your friend -- When this you sing remember me, / Though many miles we distant be,". Unsigned. Done by the same maker as the 1843 acrostic for Catharine Harnish, 2017.999.24, and probably the same time.
Acrostic for Catharine Harnish on vertically orientated page of wove paper, done by the same maker as the Presentation Piece, 2017.999.23.
Large cursive lettering in both red and blue at top, left and bottom. Top has "An Acrostic.", left side has "West Lampeter" and bottom has "Township, Lancaster / County, / Pa", followed in tiny lettering by "Feb. 26, 1843." Body of text is blue cursive except for ornate, red initial letters. Red letters, read vertically are "CATHARINE HARNISH" and lines compose a clever, original, rhyming poem of religious verse. Additional small writing along left side of poem has "When this you see, remember me, Though many miles, we distant be."
Light soil, smudges, with significant staining, esp. at edges. Dark stain on fifth line. Edges have some nicks. Bottom edge very rough with losses and two 1 1/2" long tears extending upward. A 2" ragged tear at top edge 2 3/4" from left corner; a 1/2" tear 2 1/2" from left corner. Puncture above "love" in first line.
Object ID
2017.999.24
Notes
One of the Fraktur Collection appraised by Rev. Fred Weiser, Sept. 1988. Numbered #41.
Printed Birth & Baptismal Certificate for Lidia Rothrock, born 9 Jan 1842 to parents Jacob Rothrock and wife Elizabeth nee Epler(in) in Londonderry Twp., Dauphin Co. Baptised 31 Aug 1842 by Pastor Gerhard; parents were sponsors.
Conventional angel form has tall text block between confronting angels; one holds a wreath, the other a bird. Eagle at top center and large perching birds at bottom corners. Imprint at very bottom is "Gedruckt und zu haben bey G.S. Peters, -- Harrisburg, Pa." This color-printed form was printed between 1840 and 1842. See K. Stopp, The B & BCs of the Pa. Germans, Vol. 3, pp. 70-74
Printed in Harrisburg, PA by G. S. Peters; Infill & decoration likely Londonderry Twp., Dauphin Co.
Provenance
Unknown. Donor Kathryn Feagley (1895-1986) and husband Joseph C. Feagley (1895-1971) were Lancaster City residents.
Some brown stains, hazy stains from bottom center to page center and Southeast of the eagle. Some foxing at side edges. A 2 1/4" tear at left center and 1" tear above right center. Small adhesive paper stick on back.
Object ID
1975.031
Notes
One of the fraktur collection appraised by Pastor Fred Weiser, 2 Sept 1988. Numbered #33.
This color imprint was produced by Gustav S. Peters between 1840 and 1842 according to Klaus Stopp, The B & BCs of the Pa. Germans, Vol. 3, pp. 70-74.
Credit
Courtesy of LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Printed angel form B & BC in English for Harriet Miller born 7 Jan 1828 in Elizabeth Twp. to parents Peter Miller and wife Elisabeth, dau. of D. Buffenmeyer. Baptism performed by Rev. William Bates.
A variant of the standing angel form has a heavy medallion border enclosing entire page. Angels flank center text block titled "CERTIFICATE / OF / BIRTH & BAPTISM" bio info follows. with a center basket of flowers and religious verse below. At top is an eagle; at bottom center are three sprays of flowers over two baskets of flowers. Flanked by a pair of perching birds. Short verses found in two small bordered boxes at top corners.
Color decorated with yellow and red. At very bottom, below baskets is "Printed and for sale by G.S. Peters,---Harrisburg, Pa."
Infill Lancaster; printed Harrisburg
Provenance
Pencil inscription on back reads: "From Catherine D. Miller estate / Paoli, Pa".
Center nail hole at top has a tear up to edge with cellophane tape repair on back. Some ragged edges. Bottom edge has very dark brown stain and both corners have been torn off
Object ID
2004.751
Notes
Found in the list of the Fraktur Collection appraised by Rev. Fred Weiser, Sept. 1988. Listed as Fraktur # 51.
This c. 1835 imprint by Gustav S. Peters of Harrisburg is a color-printed variant of the angel form and is numbered 378.3 in Klaus Stopp's "The Printed BBCs of the German Americans", vol. III, p.64.
Color printed Fraktur is a Birth & Baptismal Certificate for Emma Matilda Ried. Angel type print in German has standing angels flanking the text block and four perching birds in lower corners. An eagle is at top center and baskets of flowers & flower sprays below text block.
Text block infilled in red in a very accomplished, controlled hand. Emma was born 3 Oct 1838 in Lancaster City and baptized 22 Jan 1839 by Samuel Trumbauer. Parents are Peter Ried and his wife Margaretha, daughter of Johannes & Catharina Bard.
Printed in Harrisburg; infilled likely in Lancaster City. Printer: G.S. Peters; Infill unknown
Overall very brittle and age darkened. Broken broken at fold lines, creating 5 separate pieces. Cellophane tape at both the top and bottom of the vertical break, taped on the front! Tape is staining paper. Very large loss 1.75" x .50" at left edge near top. Small tears and losses around edges.
